The Irish standard., 1887-10-22

of the night at the old Finger t.
Brian sometimes thought of that night
tool In postscript, Connor said that
Neddy was going Oh 6rst-rate with his
friend the school master, and that he
Sent his love to all.
Where am To- Sally Cayanagh asked
family.
You must not talk-'t1s the doctors
orders,' replied the nurse.
Another day and night wore OH,
Then she knew it was the doctor who
was feeling her pulse. She struggled a
long time to speak, but was not able tc
utter word. But when she saw the
doctor turning away, dispair appeared
to give her strength, and with an effort
she ried-'The-children!
You must keep very quiet said the
doctor kindly; you are after getting
over bad fever; and the children are
quite WE'LL
Another, and another, and another
day. And now she could understand
her position clearly. They assured he1
that when she was strong enough she
could see her children,--the youngest
little boy and all, oh, that was all she
Wanted,-just to see them from th5
window for one minute, and sure she q
oe strong enough for that tomorrow
at any rate But when to morrow, and
TO- morrow, and q week passed, and
they were still putting her Off, {. terrible
dread took possession of her, The
doctor seeing this, whispered to the
nurse that if she did not rest better that
night, the truth should be broken tc
her. But having heard the children in
the work-house were all marched out
dally at certain hour for air and exer-
else, Sally Cayanagh stole from the fey
er hospital, and hid herself in q clump
of evergreens by which the children
were to pass. She crouched down upon
her knees and elbows, watching and
listening intently. They are coming!
They pass within few feet Of the ever
green's! Her very breathing is suspend
ed. Not q face in that long line of pau
per boys escapes he scrutiny. But Cor
ney is not there, nor Tommy, nor Mickey,
Sally Cayanagh feels al almost irrepres-
siblo impulse to scream aloud; but by q
strong effort she resists it, and it passes
away in shudder. She res s her fore
head-it is burning-upon the damp
clay under the evergreens, and remains
mot1onless, she knows not how long.
She is reused by the.plodding tread OF
the pauper boys Oh their return, She
watches them again, but now not
anxiot!sly, but with a dull, unconscious
gaze,
Again size is sroused. A piercing light
burns III her dark eyes, and her nostrils
quiver. The pauper girls are coming
now, She raises herself upon her hands
as il she were about to spring forward.
1t is-it is poor Norah's yellow hair.
She does spring forward. She seizes
the child by the shoulders, and holding
her out at arms length, stares into a
face that never wore smile: no, never,
since the day She was born. But it is
not poor Moran, ,asld Sal ly Cavanagh
appears turned into stone as the pro-
cession Of panper girls moves past.
But is it not a sight to make one
shudder? Is there not something hor-
rlble in the bare idea Of many hundreds
of children's faces without one smile
among them? Yet we assure the read
er we have seen this unnatural sight,
Another thought smote UPON the
heart OF Sally Cavanagh, and she was
reused again.
She sees two men placing cof1ins upon
a car, There iss child's coffin amongst
them; aud sss the men stoop to lift it
from the ground they are pushed yio-
lently aside. She tears off the lid. and
the bright rays of the setting sun fall
upon the little CHASTITY corpse. But it is
not her child. The priest, who was
coming from the hospital, approached
and spoke soothingly to the poor dis
tracted mother.
Where are they?' she asked.
In Heaven, the saints in
Heaven, replied the priest.
:Norah-an' Corney-- an Tommy and
Nickey?--an' ths youngest little boy?--
ar. they all dead?'
Yes: they re all dead!'
And buried?'-- she added, with be-
Wildered look.
And buried---and gone to better
world, said the priest.
She looked distractedly about her, till
1er eyes rested on blue mou ntain. ten
niles away, She bent long, piercing
gaze upon the mountain. And then |!
lttering wild shrek that rung through
'he palace of poverty and made the
gooa priest turn pale, the broken heart |
I'd woman rushed through the gate,
Ter hands stretched out towards the
mountain.
Sally Cavanagh was maniac.
OH A PTEP Yy1TJ